Split Large File for FAT32 USB - Linux Guide

The error:

mv: error writing '/mnt/as.zip': File too large

means that the destination file system (in this case, likely mounted at /mnt/) does not support large files, typically files over 2 GB or 4 GB in size.

Common causes

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1. FAT32 file system — has a 4 GB file size limit.
2. ext3 (with certain configurations) — may have issues with very large files.
3. Filesystem is mounted with size limitations or quotas.

✅ Solution Options

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🔍 1. Check the file system type:

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Run:

df -T /mnt

Look at the Type column — if it’s vfat (FAT32), it has a 4 GB file size limit.

💡 2. Solutions:

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✅ a. Reformat the destination with a large-file-friendly filesystem:

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• Use exFAT, NTFS, ext4, XFS, or Btrfs.

  # Example for reformatting to exFAT (after backing up data!)
  sudo mkfs.exfat /dev/sdX1

✅ b. Compress or split the file before moving:

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Split the file into parts:

split -b 2G as.zip as.zip.part-

Then move all parts:

mv as.zip.part-* /mnt/

To reassemble later:

cat as.zip.part-* > as.zip

✅ c. Use a different destination:

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Move the file to a location with an ext4, xfs, or exfat file system.

If you’re not sure about the filesystem or want help formatting safely, feel free to share the output of:

df -T /mnt